Practice what you preach

1
Practice what you preach?

• Evaluating the intranet use of library staff at
  AIR University

2
The project team

• Tamzen Hunt
• César Pimenta
• Lorna Rosbottom

3
Project Overview

• A research project that consists of
• Analysis of the existing staff intranet system in
  an academic library across 4 sites
• Recommendation for the implementation of a new
  and improved staff intranet system

4
Project overview concept mapping
5
Context

• To contextualise the experience of AIR University
  within a survey of intranet and knowledge
  management literature.
• This literature reveals key discursive approaches
  to the effectiveness of intranet systems.
• The intranet is an effective tool for knowledge
  management and can indeed empower employees
  (Mphidi, 2004).
• The intranet has the potential to go beyond
  simple information sharing to encompass a
  strategic purpose by enhancing group
  collaboration and presenting a clearer picture of
  the team, department or organisation (Denton,
  2006).
• However
• Successful implementation of an intranet
  requires careful planning to ensure a system that
  is friendly to the end user and valuable to the
  company (Wagner, 2002, p.141).
• Research into the effectiveness of the intranet
  has revealed that the potential of the intranet
  as a knowledge management tool is not utilised
  fully (Mphidi, 2004, p.393).
• Indeed most intranet Webmasters frequently hear
  stories about intranets that limp along or are
  dismal failures. (Fichter, 2006, p.51).

6
Research objectives

• To gain ideas for the overall improvement of the
  staff intranet system
• To ascertain the levels of use and usefulness
• To evaluate the strategy adopted by the
  departmental management towards intranet use
• To evaluate the existing role of the intranet in
  fulfilling the university's current information
  policies on communication.

7
Methodology

• Population All library services staff
• Sample 5 senior managers, 20 professional and
  paraprofessionals from each site
• Quantitative research questionnaires, analysis
  of log files
• Qualitative research interviews with senior
  managers, discussion groups

8
Time scale

• The project will be conducted over 4 stages
• Stage 1 Preparation for the project
• Stage 2 Analysis of findings
• Stage 3 Implementation of the revised
  
• intranet system
• Stage 4 Evaluation of success

9
Stage 1

• Month 1
• Literature review
• Month 2
• Analysis of Log files
• Contact Senior Management to identify
  interviewees
• Compile questionnaire to 20 members of staff
• Month 3
• Send questionnaires
• First group discussion session
• Interview 5 managers

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Stage 2

• Month 4, 5
• Analysis of quantitative data
• Transcription and analysis of interviews
• Second group discussion session
• Month 6
• Meeting with ICT staff to address problematic
  areas of the current intranet system

11
Stage 3

• Month 7,8
• Submit proposal to Library Director for approval
• ICT staff to change current intranet system
• Month 9
• Implementation of the revised intranet system
  pilot

12
Stage 4

• Month 10
• Third group discussion session
• Provide online tutorial
• Changes to create final report
• Month 11
• Presentation of final report to all members of
  staff
• Month 12
• Submission and publication of the research paper
• Electronic online dissemination of findings to
  LIS communities, via the Information Literacy
  gateway

13
References

• Denton, K. (2006) Strategic intranets the next
  big thing?, Corporate Communications An
  International Journal, 11(1), pp. 5-12
• Fichter, D. (2006) Making your intranet live up
  to its potential, Online, 30(1) pp. 51-53
• Mphidi, H. and Snyman, R. (2004) The utilisation
  of an intranet as a knowledge management tool in
  academic libraries, The Electronic Library,
  22(5), pp. 393-400
• Wagner, W. (2002) Implementing corporate
  intranets lessons learned from two high-tech
  firms, Industrial Management Data Systems,
  102(3), 140-145